Welcome to the Nordic World Heritage Conference 2025
The Nordic World Heritage Sites gather every year for mutual inspiration and exchange of experiences. A strong tradition since 30 years.
This year, the conference is held in Denmark, organized by the two World Heritage Sites, Stevns Klint and Trelleborg - one of the five Danish Viking Age Ring Fortresses.
The theme for this year’s conference is: “Raising value – working together on World Heritage”.
PROGRAM | Daily schedule
8th of September - Monday
Møn & Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
9.00 – 18.00 Pre-tour: The living nature and geology of Møn
Experience the spectacular Møns Klint, a new World Heritage Site, meet an ambassador of UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Møn and see how they protect nature through partnerships.
We recommend outdoor and weather appropriate clothing. Pre-tour includes a hiketo the beach along Møns Klint for about 1.5 hours with guide.Optional is aless challenging trip along the top of Møns Klint.
Location: Start and Stop at Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
19.30-21.00 Icebreaker
An early kick-off to the conference.
19.30 Welcome to our early kick-off; Anne-Christine Larsen, Site Manager and Head of Trelleborg,and Eva Rose Waldorff, Site Manager, Stevns Klint
19.35 Presenting a new World Heritage publication; Bo Albrechtsen, Board Member, World Heritage Association
19:40 Faroese folk dance and singing by Bjarni Sørensen
20:00 Drinks and Tapas
Registration from 19.00- 21.00 Location: Comwell Køge Strand
9th of September - Tuesday
STEVNS KLINT
8.00-8.30 Bus departure for Stevns Klint
Location: Hotel Comwell Køge Strand 111, 4600 Køge, Denmark
Opening session
9.00 – 9.15
Einar Sæmundsen, Chairman, Nordic World Heritage Association
Henning Urban Dam Nielsen, Mayor, Stevns Municipality
Jane Dahl, First Vice Mayor, Slagelse Municipality
Welcome to the Nordic World Heritage Conference 2025
Moderator: Tove Damholt
9.15 – 10.30 Theme session –World Heritage Raising Value
9.15 Sigmund Lubanski, Director General, the Agency for Culture and Palaces, Denmark: The Importance of World Heritage.
9.25 World Heritage Center, Paris: Raising Value: How can the Nordiccountries contribute?
9.40 Esben Danielsen, Director, Institute for Cultural Analysis:The value of World Heritage in a local community.
Danish experiences in assessing the significance of cultural and natural heritage in local communities. There is a range of parameters for evaluation, as they hold various forms of value in society—such as attracting tourism, fostering local pride, education, a sense of belonging, settlement, and direct economic turnover.
10.00 Henning Urban Dam Nielsen, Mayor, Stevns Municipality, Kirsti Sæter, Head of World Heritage Centre Røros Museum, Odd Sletten, World Heritage Coordinator, Røros Municipality: Stevns Klint and Røros: Two Nordic examples
10.30-11.00
Coffee break
11.00 -12.00
Workshop: Can we assess the significance of cultural and natural heritage in our local communities? Do we know the values of our World Heritage? And can we communicatethem?
12.00 – 13.00
Lunch
Site visit – Stevns Klint
Visit our World Heritage Site and newvisitor centre and experience how we work together.
13.00 –16.45
- Visitor Centre: Stevns Klint Experience – Connecting to nature
- Cold War Fortress Stevnsfort – Geological World Heritage in a Cold War Fortress
- Stevns Klint Partners- Creating value together
17.15 - 18.30 Informal dinner and networking
Photo session and Informal dinner within the limestone quarry – and a surprise.
18.30 – 19.30 Bus departure for Hotel Comwell Køge Strand.
10th of September - Wednesday
Conference day Trelleborg
8.30 – 10.05 Opening perspectives and inspiration
8.35 Malene Nielsen Mansour, Deputy Delegate, Permanent delegation of Denmark to UNESCO:UNESCO in a time of change.
8.55 Einar Sæmundsen, Chairman,Nordic World Heritage Association: Nordic countries in a global context.
9.10 Six Nordic Highlights: Six sites present inspirational work.
9.55 Next year’s conference.
Location: Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
10.05-10.30 Coffee Break
10.30 – 12.00 Theme session: Engaging volunteers in World Heritage Sites
10.35 Cecilie Johansen, Institute for Cultural Analysis: Volunteering: From helping hand to committed idealist.
11.10 Anne-Christine Larsen, Head of Trelleborg and Site Manager: Engaging people in research? How and why?
11.30 Partnerbingo: Get inspired, strengthen network, laugh.
12.00 -13.00 Bus departure for Trelleborg Viking Age Ring Fortress
13.00 – 16.45 Site visit: Viking-Age Ring Fortress Trelleborg and Experimental Archaeology
One of five Viking Age Ring Fortresses inscribed in 2023. Experience the site and how we engage visitors and volunteers and work with experimental archeology.
13.10 Photo session 80 years of UNESCO
13.30 Gustav Solberg, ph.d. student: Experimental Archaeology at the Longhouse
13.50 Mead tasting and Viking snacks
14.15 – 16.15 Experience Trelleborg
- Guided tour of the monument
- “The Thing” – democratic dilemma game
- Viking games
Introduction: Anne Knabe Sørensen, Activities Coordinator, Trelleborg
16.45-18.00 Bus departure to Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
Traditional Festive Dinner
Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
18.45 Pre Dinner Drinks
19.15 Join our traditional and joyful dinner with Rauma Award Ceremonyan Nordic classical Music from Tvíburix Scandinavian Cello School, Stevns Klint Partner
11th of September - Thursday
7.30 – 19.00
Post-tour: In the footsteps of King Harald Bluetooth
We recommend outdoor and weather appropriate clothing. At the end of the post-tour it is optional to stay on the bus back to Køge or leave at Odense Station at 17.00.
7.30 - 10.00 Departure Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
10.00 - 13.15 Visit Jelling UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Guided tour at the monument.
- Visit the unique special exhibition: The Golden Treasure from Vindelev.
12.15 Lunch and break to visit shop and restroom
13.15 – 14.30 Departure for the Viking-Age Ring Fortress Nonnebakken
14.30 -17.00 Nonnebakken- a “hidden” UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Coffee and guided tour through Odense and the monument area: How to work with a hidden site.
- Visit to the exhibition.
17.00 – 19.00 Departure from Nonnebakken, Odense
Option: Take the train from Odense station or stay on the bus back to Hotel Comwell Køge Strand.
PRACTICAL | Information
The Conference takes place in three main locations:
- Comwell Køge Strand, 4600 Køge
- Stevns Klint Experience, 4673 Rødvig Stevns
- Trelleborg Viking Fortress, National Museum of Denmark, 4200 Slagelse
Dates:
- Sept. 8th to Sept. 11th (4 days) - see the full program above
Accomodation:
- Hotel Comwell Køge Strand
RAISING VALUE | working together on World Heritage
All World Heritage Sites constitute a strong platform for creating relevance and strengthening the values of UNESCO World Heritage locally, regionally and internationally.
The conference will focus on how Nordic World Heritage sites anchor, disseminate and strengthen their strong values through collaboration.
Join the conference to be inspired by visionary presentations and practical examples of strong collaborations, to discuss and participate in workshops and not least: To strengthen and expand your network.
We guarantee you something relevant to your own site including shared place-based narratives, volunteers in research projects and communities for local social and economic development.
STEVNS KLINT | In 2014, Stevns Klint was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the world’s best-preserved site for evidence of the asteroid impact that struck Earth 66 million years ago. This event led to mass extinction and changed the course of life on our planet. The impact traces are found within Stevns Klint's chalk and limestone layers, marked by a thin boundary clay.
TRELLEBORG | On September 17, 2023, the Viking fortress Trelleborg, along with Denmark's four other Viking-age ring fortresses—Borgring, Nonnebakken, Fyrkat, and Aggersborg—was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List during the World Heritage Committee Congress in Riyadh.
This recognition highlights the fortresses as exceptional examples of Viking-era architecture and Denmark's cultural legacy. It also marks a new chapter of collaboration among five Danish museums, strengthening efforts to preserve and share this unique history with the world.
